


The Future We're Fighting For

by PaperbackGarden



Series: King Falls Kid Fic [1]
Category: King Falls AM (Podcast)
Genre: Children, F/M, Family, Fluff, Gen, Kid Fic, M/M, OCs - Freeform, Post-Canon, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-12
Updated: 2018-10-12
Packaged: 2019-07-18 11:16:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16117271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaperbackGarden/pseuds/PaperbackGarden
Summary: They never really thought this would happen.Even after the worst had blown over. Even when Jack got back and Ben and Emily were married. Even when life settled into a rhythm that did not include shadows and rainbow lights.Even when James and Conner were born. Even when Paige came into their lives.It wasn't the type of thing they had ever expected to achieve. And yet, here they were.It is not going to be all fun and games, far from it. The kids seem to be drawn to trouble, and old fears don't just die.But the two families love each other, and at the end of the day, that is all that matters.





	The Future We're Fighting For

**Author's Note:**

> I told all my friends I would not actually write this, and then I did.  
> I might make a series about these kids' adventures in King Falls, but here's what I have for now! 
> 
> The formatting is a little weird. Each YEAR: # is the number of years it has been since the first kid was born.

YEAR: 0  
It was a typical night for Sammy Stevens. He and Jack were eating dinner on the couch, talking about anything and everything. It so strange, being there, in King Falls, with Jack, married and happy. It was a future that he was so sure he would never get and yet, here it was. Real, amazing, and perfect.  
Their conversation was interrupted by a knocking at the door. It was more of a pounding, really.  
“I’ll get it.” Jack said, kissing Sammy’s cheek before he stood up.  
Sammy watched him go until he vanished from sight, trying not to be weird about it. Even after all this time, Sammy still felt a pang in his heart when Jack walked away. Some part of him still believed he’d vanish again.  
This feeling faded when he heard who was at the door.  
“Jack, is Sammy here? I need to talk to him.”  
“Hi Ben. Nice to see you too.”  
“I don’t have time for banter. Where’s Sammy?”  
Sammy went to the doorway to find Ben already in his house, walking towards him.  
“Hey man, I was going to call you but I figured you’d want to know in person and honestly I wanted to tell you in person.” Ben said, all in one breath.  
Sammy looked Ben up and down. He seemed clearly frazzled, but he was grinning from ear to ear. Jack, meanwhile, sidestepped back to the living room “I’ll let you two talk while I prep the bail money.”  
“I’m sure it’s not that bad” Sammy called after him before turning to the problem at hand, “Ben, what’s going on?”  
“I wanted you to be the first to know, since you’re my best friend and I love you.” Ben said, buzzing with excitement. “Dude, I’m-” He took a deep breath “I’m going to be a dad.” 

The next few months both rushed by and barely moved at a slow crawl. Ben and Emily told people slowly over time, but it wasn’t long before Archie was calling in.  
“I heard from Shila who heard from Doyle who heard from-”  
“I’m sorry? Doyle is part of your rumor circles?” Ben said with a laugh.  
“Well let me finish, Ben. Doyle heard from Riley who heard from Maggie Matterson that Emily is expecting.”  
Ben laughed a bit more awkwardly as he tried to figure out how to respond.  
“Everyone was going to find out eventually.” he said finally “Yeah, Archie, you actually got it this time. Emily and I are going to be parents.” The joy and excitement began to creep into his voice.  
“And just like that the board lights up on an otherwise quiet night.” Sammy said. “We’re all very happy for the two of them. Ben and Emily have been through a lot and they’ve earned this more than anyone else I know.”  
“Come on, man.” Ben said sheepishly, shooting him a smile.  
“I’m just speaking the truth.” Sammy said.  
“Well I’ll let you go, I got what I needed.” Archie said.  
“Have a good night, Archie.” Sammy said.  
“Actually, I have one more question. When are you and Jack going to follow in Ben’s steps and raise a kid of your own. Ya’ll know you earned it too.”  
Ben glanced over at Sammy’s face before saying “Talk to you later, Archie,” and hanging up.  
“Alright Ben.” Sammy said “Let’s answer some callers. How many of them do you think are going to have baby names already picked?”  
“Oh, if they don’t I’m just going to hang up on them. Line number six, you’re live.” 

\---  
YEAR: 7

“Hey, Delilah and Conner, can you go play in your rooms? I want to talk to mom for a second.”  
“Okay dad.” Delilah, the older one, said with a smile. She grabbed her brother’s hand and started down the hall. As his kids ran off, Ben called after them “I love you!”  
He turned to Emily, who was watching him expectedly. Ben looked suspiciously from side to side, despite the fact that he was in his own house.  
“We’re going to throw a surprise baby shower for Sammy and Jack.”  
Emily frowned “Didn’t they say they didn’t want anything special?”  
“Sammy said that cause he’s Sammy and you have to force feed him love and support. And Jack said it would be a great idea.”  
“I think he thought you were joking.”  
“He should know me better than that by now.”  
“Is it even a baby shower? I thought there was a chance they would adopt a slightly older kid.”  
“Adoption Shower then. Come on, it will be great. We can invite all our friends and make them really uncomfortable from all the support. They’ll love it.” 

They did, in fact, love it. Even if Sammy still denies it to this day. They showed up at Ben and Emily’s house expecting a normal dinner, and instead were greeted by half the town.  
“Did you know about this?” Sammy asked his husband, smiling.  
“I thought he was joking.”  
“You should know Ben better than that by now.”  
They did their best to talk to everyone, earning a “mighty proud of ya” from Ron and offers of babysitting from Mary. It was fun and comforting, like spending time with family.  
Because this was their family.  
Neither could wait to share it with a third.

\---  
YEAR: 8

“Paige, this is Sammy and Jack. They’re going to be your new dads.”  
Both men looked down at the girl standing behind the social worker’s legs. They knew she was a year older than Ben and Emily’s youngest, Conner. She had a blonde pigtails and freckles that dotted all over her face. Big brown eyes blinked up at them.  
Sammy knew, in that moment, that he would do anything for her.  
Jack got down on a knee to be eye level with Paige.  
“Do you like pancakes?”  
Nod nod.  
“Do you like puppies?”  
Nod nod.  
Jack smiled wide “Let me show you what Sammy over here showed me when I first came to town. You’ll love them.”  
He helped her into the car and they drove. Is was quiet for two seconds before Sammy started to talk. He used his friendliest radio voice as he pointed out all the shops and buildings they passed.  
“That restaurant shut down because they only sold frog legs. An entire restaurant for eating frogs.”  
“Yucky.” Paige said  
“I agree.” Sammy responded, grateful she had spoken. He continued the tour all the way to Rose’s.  
Jack held the door for Paige and Sammy. Paige seemed to decide the patrons were scarier than Jack and Sammy, because she clung to their side like a scared koala. Jack gave her a reassuring smile.  
It took them all a moment to realize the entire diner had gone quiet. Townsfolk who knew Sammy and Jack, knew their story, all looking at the little girl clinging to them like her life depended on it.  
“Is this the little one we’ve heard so much about?” Rose asked, setting down the menus she was carrying “Hi. I’m Rose. What’s your name, sweetheart?”  
“Paige.” She said, voice so soft.  
“What a pretty name. I’ll show you your seats, and then you can get some pancakes.”  
Paige nodded, but clung to Jack and Sammy as they went to go get a seat.  
There, in the diner, Sammy and Jack talked about themselves and all the other people Paige still had yet to meet. She listened in silence, eating with wide eyes.  
“And you can meet Ron. Ron has a lake with a mons- with a dragon in it named Kingsie.”  
“Really?” Paige said “A real life one?”  
“Yup.” Jack said “We also have real life ghosts who will help you if you get lost in the forest. They prefer to be called apparitions, though.”  
“Are they nice?”  
“Most of them are.”  
“Are there bad ones?”  
Jack smiled at her “They can’t hurt you. See, Sammy here is a professional monster fighter. Every night he leaves with his best friend to help people who get in trouble with the bad monsters. He’s a hero.”  
“Jack, stop it. I’m not…” He trailed off when he saw Paige looking at him with a wide grin that showed off her missing tooth. She was looking at him as if he were not just a hero, but her hero.  
“You’re a monster hunter?”  
“When I’m needed, yes. I fight the bad monsters.” 

\---  
YEAR: 13

Jack entered the room in a hurry, only one shoe on. His husband and daughter were waiting for him, already prepared to leave.  
“Normally I’m the one running late.” Sammy teased, “Ben can get on your case this time.”  
“We both know he’ll blame you anyways.”  
“What are friends for?” Sammy stood up, “Paige, are you ready to go?”  
“I’ve been ready.” She said, her tone not quite matching the words.  
“You told her to say that.” Jack said.  
“She listens to her parents!” Sammy responded.  
The three of them walked the five minutes it takes to get from their house to Ben and Emily’s. They did not bother to knock, though Sammy did say “We’re here!” as they walked in.  
“Sammy, Jack!” Emily said with a smile, “Hello! And hello to you too, Paige.”  
“Hi aunt Emily. Can I go play with Conner?”  
“Of course. He’s in his room. Have fun!”  
She watched Paige run off with a smile “Aunt Emily. She’s so sweet. How are you two?”  
“Wondering where your shorter half is.” Sammy said. Emily laughed.  
“Oh he’s just out getting dinner. Neither of us wanted to cook.”  
“We could have hosted tonight.” Sammy said, but Emily was already shaking her head.  
“It was our turn. He should be home any-”  
The door swung open again and Ben popped his head in.  
“Can I get some help with the groceries?” He asked. As they went to help him, Jack smirked at Sammy. “I was late and still arrived before one of the hosts.”  
“Life is unfair like that.”

Soon, everyone was sitting in the living room, eating dinner and talking. A movie was on for the kids, but the oldest, Delilah, was not really paying attention. She kept playing with her short hair and moving her food around her plate.  
“What’s on your mind?” Ben asked her as she poked at her food for a third time.  
“Nothing.” She said.  
“It’s happening, Ben. You have the beginnings of a moody teenager on your hands.” Sammy teased. He softened right away when he got a better look at the kid’s face. She was getting older, which meant life was going to start getting harder for her really soon. She should be able to talk to her parents.  
“I’m going to go get more mashed potatoes.” She announced suddenly “Uncle Jack, will you help me with the pot? It’s really hard to open.”  
Jack had no idea why he specifically had been called out for this task, but he smiled anyways “Sure thing, Del.”  
He followed her to the kitchen, where she opened the pot without his help and started scooping mashed potatoes. Jack had always like Delilah, babysitting for her was when he realized he wanted to be a dad himself. She was a smart kid, and he knew instantly something was going on.  
“I wanted to ask you something.” She said, her eyes glued to the white fluff she was shoveling onto her plate.  
“I guessed this wasn’t about the pot. What’s up?” As much as he enjoyed babysitting this kid when she was younger, he couldn’t help but feel like she should be having this talk with one of her parents.  
“You and uncle Sammy are gay.” She said finally. It was a statement. A fact. She said it as if she were announcing the sky were blue.  
“Yes.” Jack said slowly.  
“How’d you know?”  
The whole scene made sense for exactly half a second before Delilah hurriedly said “I have a crush on a boy. We danced at the halloween dance and my friends teased us and it was fun.”  
“Can I ask why you’re asking, then?” Jack asked gently.  
“I don’t like girls.” Delilah said, looking at the ground.  
“I believe you.” Jack said, not fully believing her.  
“I don’t like girls… I don’t even know if I want to be one.”  
The conversation suddenly made sense again, and Jack smiled reassuringly “You don’t have to. Ben and Emily will understand.”  
“Are you sure?”  
“I’m sure. They are a pair of the kindest, most accepting people in the world, and they love you more than life itself. No matter who you turn out to be.”  
“I’m still me.”  
“I know. Soon, you’ll get to be more you than you’ve ever been before.”  
He got a smile at that, and then was left alone in the kitchen.  


\---  
YEAR: 16

The door of the station slammed open.  
“UNCLE BEN! POP! HOLY F---!” Paige said, tumbling into the room. “Nice reaction on that buzzer, Uncle Ben. I’ll get you one of these days.”  
“Paige?” Sammy asked “What are you doing here? Is everything okay?”  
“I have a story!” She announced “One to blow your supernatural socks off.”  
“Alright then, pull up a chair so the listeners can hear you.” Sammy said.  
“I doubt that’s a problem with how loud she was.” Ben teased.  
“Wow Ben. What the frick.” She said as she pulled her chair up. “And damn it I thought for sure you would bleep that one. I do win if you bleep a non-swear.”  
“You don’t need to reminded me, you’re never going to win.” Ben responded.  
Paige rolled her eyes dramatically “Yeah whatever you say. Anyways, you’ll never guessed what happened tonight. I had to come tell you in person.”  
“How did you even get here?” Sammy asked.  
“Bike.” She said plainly, as if it wasn’t almost six am, uphill, and a twenty minute drive in a car. Before Sammy could express his concern, Paige launched into her story.  
“So Conner’s down sick but I somehow managed to convince Del- sorry- James to be my partner in crime for this. So we go to the old abandoned restaurant to see if it’s salvageable because of my big project-”  
“Paige wants to turn what used to be Frickard’s into a King Falls Themed diner.” Sammy filled in the listeners, pride in his voice “Murals of trees on the walls, apparition and other weirdly themed food, the sorts.”  
“And fish and chips with bass caught at Lake Hatchenhaw! The dish will be called Fit for a Kingsie, get it? And Conner is going to collect photos of a lot of the stuff that happens here to decorate the tables so we can- I am in a tangent. The story.” She took a breath “So we go to check the place out and maybe start cleaning it up a little. Nothing fancy, we don’t own it yet. Then, we hear something from the kitchens. It sounds like metal clanging around. James grabs a broom as a weapon cause he’s smart. Me, on the other hand? Less smart. I kick the door open and jump in. Pop, Ben, it was an undead infestation.”  
“Zombies?” Ben asked, and Paige shook her head.  
“Just apparitions. Not even human ones either. It was frogs. A hundred of them. James started pushing them out with the broom, but they just went right through it! Then they all turned to look at us, so I started screaming and taking pictures because Conner will kill me if I don’t ‘record the weird happenings’ or whatever it is he’s always going on about.”  
“Sounds like Conner.’  
“Yup! So these frogs start coming at us and James just starts swinging. Only every other hit makes and contact but he’s doing it. Soon, all the apparition frogs are running and hiding. We turn to leave, because weird, but as I close the door behind me I swear I saw them start to come back out.”  
“Ghost frogs. The skeletal remains of Frickards is haunted by ghost frogs.” Sammy said.  
“Apparitions.” Both his best friend and his daughter corrected.  
“Fan-tas-tic.” Sammy responded.  
“Why didn’t James come with you to tell us, Paige?” Ben asked.  
“He decided he had enough weirdness and went to stargaze with Ethan.” Paige said. Ethan was James’s boyfriend, and though he had been from small towns his whole life, he was new to King Falls. James once called him a ‘shining ray of normalcy in this weird fucking town.’  
“Are none of our kids at home in their beds right now?” Sammy asked.  
“Conner is.” Ben said, right as the hotline rang.  
“You’re on with King Falls AM.”  
“It’s Conner. I want to see the frogs for myself. Can you meet me there in forty five?”  
“It’s all downhill. I can make it in thirty.”  
“Or you could both go to sleep and deal with it in the morning.” Ben said.  
“But-”  
“No buts. Conner, go back to sleep, you’re sick. Paige, will you go wait in one of our cars while we wrap this up. Neither of you are in trouble, but I don’t want you wandering at night.”  
“Yes Uncle Ben.” Paige said as she walked out.  
“Yes dad.” Conner said, and hung up.  
When Paige had left, Ben turned to Sammy “Sorry for parenting your kid.”  
“It’s fine, dad voice.”  
“Oh shut up. Your dad voice is way dad voiceier.”  
“Whatever you say, Ben.”  
“It is!”  
“Whatever you say.” 

\---  
YEAR: 17

It was a regular Friday night in King Falls. Most shops were closed, few cars were on the streets and yet, half the town was awake.  
“... and I think on that note, we should take listener calls.” Sammy’s voice filtered through into the homes and cars of the tired town.  
“I’m just saying, man, if they think they can get away with-”  
Sammy cut Ben off “You’ve heard our medium rage story, now let’s hear yours. Call us at 424-279-3858 or tweet us at King Falls AM and King Falls Sammy respectively.”  
“And if you want to say anything about the INJUSTICE that has-”  
He was interrupted again, this time by the hotline.  
“You rambled too long.” Sammy said “You really shouldn’t keep the listeners waiting.”  
“I didn’t ask for your comments, dad.” Ben said teasingly before answering “You’re on King Falls AM with Ben and Sammy.”  
“Boys, you will never believe who I have in the back seat of my squad car.”  
“Troy Kreighouser, everybody.” Sammy introduced.  
“They know who Troy is. How could they not?” Ben said.  
“That is mighty kind of you, Ben.” Troy said.  
“Why you calling tonight, Troy? You said you made an arrest? Sounds like an important one if you’re calling the hotline.”  
“Actually, it’s been three arrests. And I think you’ll find this one personal.”  
“Personal? Is it that piece of trash, no good-”  
“Ben! Who do you have, Troy?”  
“I think I’ll just hand them the phone and let them speak for themselves.”  
Sammy started to ask who Ben thought it could be, and please don’t say the person you were about to we can go a full week without starting a fight, but before he could say any of that the person spoke over the phone. He had a very familiar, very cheerful voice. He sounded almost proud of himself.  
“Hi dad! Hi Uncle Sammy!” Conner said  
Another voice, Paige, spoke up “It was all Arnold’s fault I swear. He- don’t look at me like that. They know I mean Conner.”  
“Rude. I am an angel.” Conner said.  
“Troy.” Sammy said slowly “Did you arrest our kids?”  
“They were out vandalizin’ someone’s property. I had to take them before someone less friendly wrote them up!”  
“Dad.” Paige said “He was an asshole. You punched the mayor once. Back us up here.”  
“I don’t think I can do that until I have the full story, Paige. What happened?”  
“Can we go to break?” It was the third teenager in the car. The eldest of the bunch, James.  
“Of course. You heard the kid, we’re going to cut to break to and sort this out, and when we come back we can take listener calls.” Ben said. He started the ad, then turned his attention back on the conversation.  
“Okay. From the top.”  
“A kid at our school said something rude about James because he made it on the team and the asshole didn’t” Conner said. “We retaliated.”  
“I told them I could fight my own battles-” James started, but was cut off by Paige.  
“-So we invited James to come with us.”  
Sammy and Ben both knew what was coming. Paige and Conner could argue their point like a team until they were blue in the face.  
“You should have heard the things he said, pop. I was considering punching him in the face right then and there.” Paige got the ball rolling.  
“You would have done the same.” Conner jumped in “It was just toilet paper. No eggs. I wanted eggs but I held back.”  
“I admit it was my idea, not Conner or James’s.”  
“But I bought the supplies.” Conner added.  
“It was really a group effort between the two of us and James was just along for the ride, so he should get less punishment, if any.”  
“Not that any of us should get punished, but James the least.”  
“We were all doing what we thought was best.”  
“We promise.”  
Troy could clearly be seen holding back laughter from the front. “I tell ya boys, I got the same style of speech when I caught them. Listing off reasons not to arrest them rapid fire like. They really know how to run their mouths.” He smiled and it could be heard in his voice “I wonder where they get it from.”  
“Ha ha.” Ben deadpanned.  
“Can you take them home, Troy? We’ll talk about all this when we get home.” Sammy said.  
“Sure thing, fellas. Have a nice night!”  
“You too, Troy.” Ben said “I’ll talk to you soon, James and Conner. I love you.”  
“Same for you, Paige.” Sammy said “You’re loved and I’ll see you in an hour.”  
When the called dropped, the three kids all looked at each other.  
“I think we’re screwed.” Paige admitted.  
“Most definitely screwed, but I don’t think we’re dead.” Conner agreed. “They’re totally on our side in this.”  
“They always are.” James said.


End file.
